Robert D. Carlow

CARIBOU - Robert (fondly remembered as Bob) Dalton Carlow passed into eternity at the Aroostook House of Comfort on September 22, 2023.   His was a life filled with hard work and service to others.

Bob was born on June 12, 1932, in Lincoln, ME. He was one of eighteen children born to Gladys Grass Carlow and Lester Philip Carlow.  When he was fourteen years old, he moved north to Caribou to live with his sister Madeline and her husband Klein on the Grimes Road.  Because of that providential move north, Bob met and fell in love with Lois Hale who also lived on the Grimes Road.  They were married on June 12, 1952 (Bob’s 20^th birthday) and were devoted to one another for sixty-nine years before Lois passed away on October 19, 2021. Together they worked hard to raise their five children: Richard McNeal of Presque Isle, Danny (wife Marcia) Carlow of Calais, Kerri (husband Dana) Robinson of Rochester, NH, Beth Carlow of Bangor, and Philip (wife Leslie) Carlow of Easton.  Bob and Lois have nine grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren, and one great, great-grandchild. For as long as he was able, Bob loved to camp, fish, and hunt.  His grandchildren fondly remember sleeping in tents at campgrounds, paddling in Grampy’s canoe on a lake or the Aroostook River, or climbing a trail with him.  Bob and Lois loved their home on Fort Fairfield Road and graciously welcomed visitors to stop by for a cup of coffee, a snack, and a chat.

In 1994, Bob retired from the Caribou School Department where he served as a bus driver and a custodian. He was an active member of the Caribou United Baptist Church where he taught Sunday school, led the Boys’ Brigade/Stockade program, served as a deacon, supported Baptist Park in Mapleton, and oversaw church maintenance.  Bob loved history, especially the history of his beloved hometown, and was an active member of the Caribou Historical Society.

One of Bob’s proudest accomplishments was amassing a large collection of milk bottles and publishing his own historical anthology entitled Mainly Maine Milk Bottles in 1987. He traveled far and wide over the state to document the history of each of the four hundred bottles in his collection.

A celebration of Bob’s life will be held for friends and family at the Bubar Cemetery (Fort Fairfield Road, Caribou) on October 7, 2023, at 1 PM.